Package opener



ct. 1l, 1938. yG| KYSETH 2,132,741

PACKAGE OPENER Filed March, 1937 y dwz/71] @leggi Z'. .fe//r' Patented Oct. 11, 1938 UNITED STATES PACKAGE OPENER George L. Kyseth, Clarion, Iowa Application March 9,

2 Claims.

My invention relates to a packagel opener and to the combination of a particular kind of package with the particular opener.

It is my purpose to provide the combination of a package, such as that used for cigarettes With a package opener placed in the package and adapted to be pushed, by ilexing one part of the package, for piercing another part, so that a part of the opener will then project from the package, so that it can be slid farther, which opener has shoulder means for coacting with the package wall, and conveniently determining the way in which the package should be opened. The part of the opener which remains in the package when the shoulder reaches the wall of the package is of such size that when the projecting part of the opener is pulled away from the package for tearing the package open, there will be produced an pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the' accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a package opener embodying my invention.-

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a package, such -as a cigarette package, having one of my package openers therein and properly combined therewith for cooperation.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the upper part of the package, illustrating the opener partially projecting from the package.

Figure 4 is a similar view illustrating the package opener pulled upwardly for the purpose of tearing open a part of the end of the package.

Figures 5 to 9 inclusive illustrate modiilcations of the package opener of Figure 1.

My improved package opener is particularly designed for use in cigarette packages, but it may be employed for other purposes. I will describe it, however, in connection with a cigarette package.

It will be understood that the cigarette package is used for the purpose of illustrating one practical way in which my opener may be used.

1937, Serial No. 129,855

is diil'lculty in opening the package at all, and still more diiliculty in providing a small opening in the end of the package. There is much objection to opening the whole end of the package, because then the tobacco and loose cigarettes are likely to spill into the pocket or the womans hand bag. Women frequently have no knife or convenient means for opening a cigarette package.

I have provided a means wherebythe package may be conveniently opened, but, I have gone farther and provided a means whereby the package may be opened quickly and accurately for leaving a small opening at one part only of the end of the cigarette package.

The package is indicated generally by the reference numeral I0. The upper end of the package is ordinarly sealed with overlapping flaps I I and is provided usually with the revenue stamp I2.

'Ihe cigarette package, of course, is made of ilexible material.

My improved package opener is shown in Figure 1. It-ismade of any suitable material, preferably of stiff paper. At one end, it consists of the substantially rectangular part I3, which is of the outline and size desired for the holeto be made in the top of the package.

Projecting from the portion I3 is a narrower portion I I, having the pointed end I5.

This entire package opener is indicated generally by the character A.

The package opener A is packed in the package above the ends of the cigarettes IB, its position being indicated by dotted lines in Figure 2.

The total length of the opener A is such as to enable it to rest just underneath the top of the package and to have slightly less area than the cross sectional area of the package.

'I'hus when it is desired to open the package. the user can press the end wall 2| toward the end wall 22 causing the sharp point I5 of the opener A to pierce the end wall 22.

The portion I4 may be provided with indicating characters 23-Pull out to black line-or other characters as desired, or. such characters may be omitted.

there are the shoulders 24, and along this line of juncture, I preferably provide a black or other colored heavy line 25 and adjacent thereto the characters 26 indicating-Lift upor something of that sort.v

, The user grasps the portion I4 and pulls it farther from the package until the shoulders 24 Where the portion I4 joins the portion I3,'

engagegthe wall 22. Then the user follows the injunction-Lift up"and pulls the portion Il up with a quick vigorous movement.

The portion I3 is stii enough to ytear out a rectangular part 21 'of the top of the package I0, thus leaving an opening of proper and deilnitely predetermined size. v

Figures 5 to 9 show modified forms of the opener indicated at B, C, D, E and F. The use of these modified forms will be obvious.

The advantages of a device of this kind will be obvious.

It may be noted in the first place that without they shoulders 24 or their equivalents, the device would not be nearly so efficient or satisfactory.

By providing the shoulders, it is possible to simply pull out the opener until the shoulders engage the package wall 22, and then by the tearing movement, the opening can be made of exactly the desired size. If the shoulders were not provided, it would require a good deal more care to get the opening of the size desired, and in many instances, the opener would be pulled out of the package instead of tearing the end open.

The addition of the opener is very inexpensive.

The simplicity-of the device will have been seen from the foregoing description. It may be mentioned at this point that it can be used and a package conveniently opened with one rhand.-

It is not necessary to remove the gloves to ope l a package. o

This sort of opener does not change the size, shape or appearance of the package, does not in any way interfere with the method of packing or the sealing of the package or the Cellophane wrapper, or the placing of the stamp.

Neither does it in any way affect the cigarettes.

One advantage is that the opener can be used to carry advertising.

The great point, of course, however, is to provide a device that will make a neat opening of the right size with a minimum of care and a maximum of certainty.

It might be mentioned that in an eifort to make cigarette packages easier to open, some of the manufacturers have sealed the package at the top rather lightly with the result that the seal does not always hold. Where my opener is provided, any seal may be used, in fact the tighter the better.

A package equipped with my opener can be opened faster than before and the tightness of the seal makes the device work better.

As will be seen from the drawing, certain modifications may be made, particularly in the size and shape of the opener, and, of course, it will be understood that any suitable material may be employed, and it is my purpose to cover by my claims, any modifications of the kind mentioned, which may be reasonably included within their scope.

' I claim as my invention:

1. 'I'he combination of a container having a iiexible wall and a pierceable wall, with an opener within the container having a pointed end and a portion connected with the end, having shoulders at the line of juncture with the end, projecting laterally from the pointed end part of the opener and adaptedto engage the wall when the pointed end is forced through the wall and thus to tend to stop farthermovement of the opener.

2. 'I'he combination with a container having i opposed walls, one movable toward the other, with an opener in the container having a perforating end, and a substantially rectangular end, said ends terminating adjacent said respective walls, the

rectangular end having a shoulder at the line of l I GEORGE L. KYSETH. 

